Electrical power for fuze activation

ABSTRACT

Ram air is passed into the cavities of opposed fluid oscillators. Each oscillator is defined on one end by a diaphragm and a piezoelectric crystal attached to said diaphragm. When the air in the cavity of the oscillator resonates, the diaphragm is vibrated at the resonant frequency of the oscillator causing the piezoelectric crystal to vibrate and produce an electric voltage. The power derived from the piezoelectric crystal may be used to power an electric fuze system within a projectile or missile.

nite States Patent 1 1 Campagnuolo A I Dec. 25, 1973 ELECTRICAL POWER FOR FUZE ACTIVATION Carl J. Campagnuolo, Chevy Chase, Md.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army, Washington, DC.

Filed: Feb. 24, 1967 Appl. No.: 619,139

[75] Inventor:

Assignee:

11.8. C1 BIO/8.8, 102/702 G, 3l0/8.5 Int. Cl...' H01v 7/00 Field of Search 102/702 G;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Cruzan 102/702 G 3,239,678 3/1966 Kolm et a1. 102/702 G Primary Examiner-Samuel Feinberg Assistant Examiner-H. .1. Tudor Attorney-Harry Saragovitz, Edward J. Kelly, Herbert Berl and J. D. Edgerton [5 7] ABSTRACT Ram air is passed into the cavities of opposed fluid oscillators. Each oscillator is defined on one end by a diaphragm and a piezoelectric crystal attached to said diaphragm. When the air in the cavity of the oscillator resonates, the diaphragm is vibrated at the resonant frequency of the oscillator causing the piezoelectric crystal to vibrate and produce an electric voltage. The power derived from the piezoelectric crystal may be used to power an electric fuze system within a projectile or missile.

7 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure PATENTEU [11562 5 I970 am F //v VEN 70/2, Om J 64MP/16N00L 0 A 7' TOR N E Y S ELECTRICAL POWER FOR FUZE ACTI VATION This invention relates to means of providing an electrical power source for a missile and in particular for means utilizing the ram air of the missile to provide a power source for the missile.

In the past chemical batteries have served as a source of electrical power to activate fuzes and other components in a missile, such as a mortar shell. The present invention is a new approach to the generation of an electrical power source in a missile utilizing only the ram air of the missile and not having any moving mechanical parts. When a shell or small artillery missile passes through the atmosphere a high ram pressure is formed at the stagnation point of the missile nose. This invention utilizes the ram pressure as a pneumatic source for afluid oscillator having no moving parts. One end of the fluid oscillator is defined by a diaphragm having a piezoelectric crystal attached thereto. When the oscillator oscillates the diaphragm vibrates with the same frequency of the oscillator moving the piezoelectric crystal creating an electrical voltage across the crystal which can be used as a power supply for a fuze in the missile.

is therefore an object of this invention to provide means to convert the ram air at the missile nose into an electrical voltage which can be utilized as a power supply for a fuze in said missile.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means that are simple to manufacture, and inexpensive to convert the ram air at the missile nose into an electrical power source in said missile which can be utilized to provide power for a fuzing system within the missile.

Other objects and aspects of the invention will appear from the description in the accompanying drawing, wherein: I

The FIGURE is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the FIGURE a missile is shown therein having a nose portion 11 which houses a ram tube 12. A first fluid oscillator 50 surrounds ram tube 12 near nose ll of missile 10. A stagnation chamber 33 surrounds ram tube 12 adjacent oscillator 50. A series of ports 15 communicate the interior of ram tube 12 with the interior of stagnation chamber 33. To left of stagnation chamber 33 is a second fluid oscillator 51 which is identical with first fluid oscillator 50. Ram tube 12 is air tight to prevent communication of its interior with the fluid oscillators and only by ports 15 can it communicate ram air with stagnation chamber 33. Stagnation chamber 33 is defined by a cylindrical member 16 having a hollow section which defies said stagnation chamber 33. At the left end of cylindrical member 16 is a ring nozzle 31 which communicates the interior of stagnation chamber 33 with resonator 51. About ram tube 12 is a circular disc which serves to define ring nozzle 31. Circular disc 30 can be made of any non-porous material that serves to prevent communication of fluid from stagnation chamber 33 to oscillator 51 through the area which is about ram tube 12. An identical circular disc 30 defines ring nozzle 32 at the right end of cylinder 15 of stagnation chamber 33. Oscillator 51 is known asa ring-tone oscillator and consists of cylinderical member 100 closed at one end by a diaphragm 60 having a piezoelectrical crystal 19 attached thereto. Ram tube 12 can either be integral with diaphragm 60 or extend therethrough in a manner well known in the art. Oscillator 51 at its circumference is and ram air will enter ram tube 12 from where, by ports 15, it will enter stagnation chamber 33. The air from stagnation chamber 33 by ring nozzles 31 and 32 will be directed into cavities 17 and 34 respectively. The fluid phenomenon in oscillator 51 and oscillator 50 is identical and therefore a description of the phenomenon of oscillator 51 will be sufiicient. The air will fill up the volume defined by cavity 17. When the air from ring nozzle 31 has completely filled cavity 17 the air will no longer enter into the cavity from ring nozzle 31 but will be deflected by edge 18 to a space 150 about cylinder 100. Air passing by edge 18 will tend to entrain fluid from cavity 17 lowering the pressure there and drawing air therefrom. When the pressure of cavity 17 falls to a sufficient value the air from ring nozzle 31 will again be directed into cavity 17 filling it with air and resulting in a movement of diaphragm 60. The cycle will be continued as long as ram air is passed into stagnation chamber 33 and directed by ring nozzle 31 to oscillator 51. Diaphragm 60 will move each time ring nozzle 31 directs air into cavity 17 and piezoelectric crystal 19 will move each time diaphragm 60 moves. Thus it can be seen that an electric current will be generated by piezoelectric crystal 19 each time diaphragm 60 is moved and will have a frequency identical to that of diaphragm 60 which will correspond to the resonate frequency of oscillator 51. An identical phenomenon will occur with regard to oscillator 50 and diaphragm 60 and piezoelectric crystal 19 thereof. Space 150 is communicated to atmosphere by suitable conduit connections and the air around oscillator 50 is also communicated to atmosphere.

The frequency generated by oscillators 51 and 50 is known as the ring-tone frequency. The predominant frequency of the oscillator is controlled by the size of cavity 17. The ring-tone frequency is higher than the resonator frequency, but lower in amplitude, since it interacts with the harmonics of the resonator eigen frequencies. Hence, this type of oscillator is known as a ring-tone resonator oscillator or a ring-tone oscillator.

The improved electrical generator of the type de scribed and illustrated herewith is capable of replacing the chemical batteries which are employed to supply electrical power for fuzes and other components in a missile. The type of device herein described has a long shelf life, does not need to be charged, and is not affected by shocks and vibrations. Such an oscillator can be built to work at both supersonic and subsonic jet flow velocity. The improved pneumatic generator can be used on any device that flies through the atmosphere such as airplanes, missiles, and helicopters, etc.

The invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiment hereof. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and form of details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will be apparent that the embodiments shown are only exemplary and that various modifications can be made in construction and arrangement within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Means to generate electrical energy in a missile comprising:

a. stagnation chamber means, b. means to transfer the ram air of said missile to said stagnation chamber,

c. nozzle means to communicate with said stagnation oscillators is' a ring-toned oscillator.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein each oscillator has a diaphragm at one end thereof.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein said means to generate an electrical voltage include electrical transducer means attached to each of said diaphragms.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein each of said electrical transducers is a piezoelectrical crystal.

7. A device according to claim 3 where each of said oscillators includes a cylindrical member and a diaphragm at one end thereof and open to said nozzle at the other end thereof, a cylindrical member having a sharp edge at the end of said oscillator away from said diaphragm. 

1. Means to generate electrical energy in a missile comprising: a. stagnation chamber means, b. means to transfer the ram air of said missile to said stagnation chamber, c. nozzle means to communicate with said stagnation chamber, d. a pair of fluid oscillators, one positioned on each side of the stagnation chamber, to receive said ram air from said nozzle means, and e. electrical generating means associated with each of said oscillators to generate electrical energy.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein a ram tube in the nose of said missile transfers said ram air to said stagnation chamber.
 3. A device according to claim 1 wherein each of said oscillators is a ring-toned oscillator.
 4. A device according to claim 1 wherein each oscillator has a diaphragm at one end thereof.
 5. A device according to claim 4 wherein said means to generate an electrical voltage include electrical transducer means attached to each of said diaphragms.
 6. A device according to claim 5 wherein each of said electrical transducers is a piezoelectrical crystal.
 7. A device according to claim 3 where each of said oscillators includes a cylindrical member and a diaphragm at one end thereof and open to said nozzle at the other end thereof, a cylindrical member having a sharp edge at the end of said oscillator away from said diaphragm. 